license plate camera
Definition
A specialized surveillance and security hardware system that uses optical character recognition (OCR) to detect, capture, and log the characters on a vehicle's license plate.
A controversial technological tool often deployed by law enforcement and private firms to monitor traffic and track individuals' movements via a web of interlinked cameras.
Examples
The town's new license plate camera network is so efficient that it now knows I stop for artisanal donuts three times a week.
Some cities are dismantling their Flock camera systems, possibly because residents grew tired of feeling like they were living inside a real-time episode of a surveillance thriller.
It is comforting to know that my license plate camera is out there in the dark, loyally documenting my commute while protecting me from the unbearable privacy of driving home unrecorded.